Hospital Flowers
by fancy-mituna
Summary: Mizutani arrives at the scene mere seconds too late. My take on what would have happened if Haru actually pushed Yamaken off of the balcony after the Christmas party. T for swearing .
1. Chapter 1

_**(Hi everyone! This is my take on what would have happened if Shizuku came a minute too late, and Haru actually did push Yamaken off that balcony after the Christmas party. I had the idea to write this over a year ago when i first read the manga, but i never actually got around to it until recently. I hope you enjoy this underrated ship as much as i do~)**_

Disclaimer: I own nothing

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 1

_Yamaguchi Kenji_

You lean nonchalantly against the balcony, staring blankly at your cell phone. A slight breeze whips your hair around your face.  
You escaped that awful christmas party and came out here to think. (You're the type of person who needs frequent breaks between being in the presence of idiots) You can only stand them for so long if your head isn't clear and your body not relaxed. One of those idiots in particular made a comment that sufficiently pissed you off.

_"You have no chance with Mitty, She has Haru-kun!"_  
Asako Natsume's shrill voice rings in your ears.

Heh, what does she know anyways? She lives on the internet, real-life stuff is obviously not her thing. On the other hand, you yourself of course, know everything there is to know about people.

_tap tap, tap tap, tap tap.._

Between your thoughts, you hear footsteps behind you. You already know who it is. You noticed him glaring at you throughout the party.

"It's nice, isnt it Haru?" you drawl, not letting him have the first word "that you're having fun at your new school. Look at all of your positively _wonderful_ new friends."

You turn around and lock eyes with his, your lips twisted in a smirk. His expression is dark and strange. You never see him like this when he's around Mizutani. It makes you want to piss him off even more.

"I remember that you always said you wanted lots of friends." he sucks in a breath, face turning red. You see his hands begin to shake at his sides. "If I offered to become your friend in exchange for Mizutani-san what would you do?" you raise an eyebrow.

"I don't need you if I have Shizuku." he deadpans. "Or anyone else."

Your gazes smoulder for a few long minutes. He seems to be silently challenging you. Beckoning you with that ominous glint in his eye. Ha! As if he's even worth the minimal effort you'd put into making him cry! You're so done with this lameass party. You only came because of Mizutani anyways.

"You didn't need to answer. I was obviously joking Haru." you sneer. "Now leave me alone."

"She's mine. I found her." he growls, doing the opposite by moving closer to you.

"Well you never know, Mizutani-san could like me more than you."

His eyes go completely completely dark, and he voices a creepy, sadistic chuckle.

"Why the hell are you laughing? It's possible." you hiss.

"No, it's not." he laughs, then raises his palm to your face.

This isn't funny. It's just plain weird.

"What the hell, Haru? What are you-"

His hand makes contact with your forehead, pressure from it pushing you backwards.

He _wouldn't…_

"See you, Yamaken"

He _would._

The unavoidable shove causes your world to flip upside down; his sinister grin along with it. You painfully flip right over the balcony behind you, too shocked to even scream. (Not that you actually would, because that's lame.)

Suddenly you're falling. His figure shrinks and you hear someone scream.

Then you crash.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Mizutani Shizuku_

Haru? Where's Haru? Geez you can't leave him alone for a second before he goes off and causes trouble somewhere. You try to think, where could he have gone? Maybe the batting cages or convenience store? Either way he definitely went outside. He always does.

You head around to check the front of the building but it's completely deserted. Well, it _is_ pretty late. Nobody hangs around outside at this time! Speaking of which, you haven't seen Yamaken around for a while either. Could they be together? Hmmm, doubtful. Those two are like oil and water- they never mix.

They're not fighting, are they? You swear you'll ignore them both for weeks if they hurt each other. Actually, maybe that would be for the better? You could use the time to study without the distraction of those two...

No! No Shizuku, you must find them. You decide to try the back of the building.

After you turn the corner, you spot two heads above you on the balcony. They're there. You notice that Haru has his arm outstretched.. but why? Is he waving? No... what? Why is he pressing against Yamaken's forehead? Does he have a fever?

You smirk at the thought. As if _Haru_ would care about Yamaken's health. So what is it he's doing then?

And then, suddenly Yamaken is pushed right off the balcony, he falls through the air, and lands hard on the ground. It's so surreal, it doesn't feel like it's actually happening. It's like you're watching a television screen, and this is not real and in front of you. You hear a faint cracking noise upon Yamaken's contact with the ground.

Then you scream.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Yamaguchi Kenji_

...

...

...

Are you dead? You must be. You think you are. Why else would everything be this black?

_Black._ Such a disgusting colour. Black eyes, black holes, black hair.

Black hair… ?

Black hair! That dirty menace! He killed you! He pushed you off a three story balcony and he killed you! Wow. Seriously? Is he for real? God, you hate that kid. You hate him so damn much. Of all the people in the world who could have killed you, it _had_ to be him! You are so incredibly unlucky.

Well, not exactly unlucky you suppose. You _did_ have a great life compared to others. It's actually a pity that someone like you died. You had so much to offer the world! You were truly a creation of gods generosity! Rich, gorgeous, and intelligent. In return, you had every luxury, every girl you could ever want at your disposal.

Well, all except one...

Damn Shizuku Mizutani.

Where do you begin with this girl? Who was she to you? An acquaintance? A classmate? A friend?

You_ could_ in fact call her all three of those things, including a friend. However the thought irritates you. You guess you could say you died for a friend. Its a noble way to die.

But, you've never once thought of yourself as noble, or had the desire to be so. Why be noble when you have everything?You did want more from Mizutani. You wanted the affection that that damn black haired rat received from her. You wanted her entirety. Her plain yet pretty face, and her simple yet confusing frame of mind.

You suppose you fell in love with her.

Shame at admitting so aside, you can truly say a relationship with her would have been perfect. You both really were so incredibly alike. If not for her stupid attachment to_ him_. You don't understand it. Was it a feeling of responsibility for unleashing him on society? Or did she genuinely love him?

You feel a sharp _pang_ in your chest.

Must be heartache. Once again, damn that stupid Haru! This pain is only because he hogged her all to himself..

Wait?! Did you just have legitimate heart pain? Its undeniable. Are your feelings returning to you? You're supposed to be dead. He _killed_ you. So of course you're dead. Unlike him, you'd never stoop as low as actual murder in order to eliminate a love rival. Mizutani is pretty great, but not worth years in prison. You are _so_ above that.

She is pretty great though. And relatively pretty, besides her god awful taste in clothing. If she just took it off-

You feel another _pang_.

Stop thinking about her, you're hopeless! There's no use! None at all!

_"Yamaken!"_

Her voice rings in your ears.

See? Now you're imagining her saying your name you useless idiot. You do this to yourself, you know.

_"Yamaken! Yamaken can you hear me?"_

Yes dammit! Get out! You think god is preparing you for the torment of hell with the sound of her voice. (It's working.)

_"Yamaken wake up!"_

Wake up? You're _dead_ not asleep. You can't just wake up. Obviously.

_"Yamaken!"_

If this is hell, it's just as bad as you imagined it to be.

_"YAMAGUCHI KENJI WAKE UP!"_

Your eyes snap open.

She is above you, looking anxious and relieved. You suppose you're alive after all. Now you're just confused. Very confused.

**_(additional authors note: youre probably thinking its strange that i wrote this in second person. My unfortunate reason is that i read so much homestuck fanfiction, which is mostly second person, that my mind sort of automatically thinks that way now. Oops. Anyways i hope i didnt bore you too much? This is actually my first ever published fanfic. I've wrote quite a bit, however i never bothered to publish any of it. Like i mentioned before, i had a strong urge to write this fic because (a) i LOVE this pairing and (b) there aren't any long, satisfying ones that i've come across for them yet so i figured i may as well write one myself. I actually wrote this chapter on my phone during my break at work. I think thats how i'll dedicate my breaks from now on. So my updates shouldnt be TOO slow! I actually have the whole thing planned for the most part, but if you have any suggestions of what i could include in future chapters, dont hesitate to tell me!_**

**_Also, please note that some of my facts might be wrong. Ive read most of the manga ( i dont keep up with it as much anymore) and ive watched all of the episodes, but some minor details may be wrong. Feel free to correct me if you're an expert on the technical stuff, id greatly appreciate it! Also, please be wary and forgiving of spelling mistakes. Normally i am a grammar nazi but sometimes i get so excited about posting a new chapter that i do a terrible job of proofreading gomen~_**

**_Thanks for reading, I'll update soon! Reviews and comments are greatly appreciated!)_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**(Notes: Hi! Sorry for the wait! I assure you i will not give up on this fic, i shall make it long and glorious with lots of character development and fluff! All the good stuff ^-^ Enjoy chapter 2!)**_

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 2

_Yamaguchi Kenji_

"Yamaken" she sighs in relief "I was worried.."

Still disoriented, you blink. Worried..? What?

"Hello? Can I please get a doctor here? He's woken up." she calls into the hallway.

You reach up to rub your eyes (because clearly you're delusional, study bug cannot possibly be here beside you right now, with her usual cute yet typical pigtails and a shapeless dress that reflects her horrid sense of fashion) As you move, your _everything_ explodes with a sickening pain.

"Shit.." you groan

"If you move too much it will only hurt more you know." she says bluntly.

"Yeah thanks.." you mutter, noticing the snow white casts covering your body. One on each left limb, a bandage around your torso, and one around your neck. Shit not a neck brace! You must look ridiculous! And in front of Mizutani too god dammit! Can you even turn your head-

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." she says. "Not unless you want to mess up your spine even more."

"...right."

So you're alive then? Broken, but not dead. And that's unexpected, considering you were almost positive you died.  
Heheh, You suppose the world still needs Yamaguchi Kenji's awesomeness to revolve around the sun.

"Yamaken why are you smiling at your injuries?" she asks incredulously

"W-What? No I'm not!" you counter defensively "That would be weird."

"What's taking the doctor so long? You're doing illogical things." she wonders out loud.

"_Illogical things?_ Are you insinuating that i have gone crazy, Mizutani-san?"

She nods. "Thats exactly what i meant."

"Why thanks." you sigh, feeling impossibly better just because of her presence and light mood, despite the situation. "Why are you here anyways, Mizutani-san?"

She immediately starts pulling away from you. "Would you rather me leave?"

"No!" you reply a little too quickly, regretting your question right away "I never said that."

she shrugs "Alright then."

There's a minute of awkward silence and finger tapping, wow where the hell is this doctor? What a shitty hospital. Finally, a man in a white coat comes waltzing in your room.

"Hello! Sorry about that! I got stopped in the corridor by a rather delusional old lady"

He's tall and probably about 30, the stethoscope around his neck and clipboard in hand confirms that he's definitely your doctor. Not that it wasn't obvious.

"Couldn't just ignore her you know? She claimed she was lost, despite having been a patient for months. Quite cute actually. Anyways enough about that." Mizutani raises an eyebrow, probably thinking the same thing as you. This guy is an idiot isnt he?

"I am doctor Toshiro Mikawa. Its a pleasure to treat a member of the renowned Yamaguchi family." he bows respectfully. "It's wonderful that you're alive, Yamaguchi-san. Your fall was nearly fatal"

_Fall?_ You were pushed! But whatever, there's no good in letting Mizutani know.

"It's amazing that you're conscious again only after a few hours!" he says excitedly.

You turn to Mizutani, ignoring him. "I was unconscious for hours?"

"The ambulance was sent to get you around 10:30pm, and it is currently 6:33am. So about 8 hours and 3 minutes." she answers automatically.

"Well, thats rather_ specific._" you say "Were you here.. the entire time?"

"Yes."

Beneath the bandages, your heart leaps in your chest. Eight whole hours?! Take that Haru!

"It was a nice, quiet place to study." she adds.

You sigh. Studying, of course. Are you surprised Yamaken? This is the girl you're so captivated by. She studies for tests that dont even _exist_ yet as you fight for your life in a hospital. You're both equally hopeless.

Still, she's _here_, so you guess you're still pleased.

"Yamaguchi-san, if I may say," Mikawa interjects. "It is my job to inform you of your current condition. Don't you want to know your status?"

"Sure, tell me then." you say, slightly annoyed.

Who cares about your medical condition when Mizutani is has been here beside you for eight hours?

"Three of your ribs were broken, however we already surgically repaired them as soon as you got in. They should heal over time, likely without any problems."

You stare at the bandage around your torso. You wonder if the stitches they must have given you will leave an ugly scar.

"Also, you broke your left arm and left leg. You landed on your left side after all. You also suffered a major concussion and excessive bleeding, however within the time frame you were unconscious we did all we could to patch you up. You were priority, of course. It's an honour to have someone like you stay with us."

"So this is a public hospital, then?" you observe the tacky yellow curtains and no name brand snacks by your bed. "I can tell."

"Yamaken shut up." Mizutani flicks your arm.

"Ow, study bug how could you hit an injured person? You're terrible." you tease.

"You broke your left arm. That was your right one, stupid." she counters.

You sigh. "It was a joke you know."

She crosses her arms. "Jokes are supposed to be funny aren't they?"

"Not always. Sometimes they're just entertaining."

"How was that possibly entertaining?"

"Well_ I_ found it entertaining."

"If you'll excuse me-" Mikawa interrupts your banter. "I'd just like to report your current obligations, Yamaguchi-san. Then you'll have time to relax. I also have to be in room 304 in 10 minutes so we should wrap this introduction up as soon as possible."

You shut your mouth and turn back to him, realizing he's still in the room. He smiles politely.

"You're subject to bed rest for until further notice. Hopefully you'll be able to walk on crutches within a few weeks, however you cannot leave the hospital complex until we officially release you. By the severity of your condition, my estimate is a few months. Maybe 3? Do know it can change as time progresses and you heal."

Mikawa gives you more useless and boring information. You don't realize you're staring at Mizutani's cute hands until Mikawa asks you the same question for the third time.

"Do you want me to contact your family?"

You cringe at the question. "Don't bother, they won't come."

Mizutani looks back at you, astounded. "What? Why?"

"They're too busy." You turn back to Mikawa to change the subject "So are we done here?"

Mizutani crosses her arms and presses her lips together in a tight line. She looks strangely affected by this? You decide to not let it get to you.

Mikawa nods, looking slightly taken aback by your bluntness. "Yes that's all for now, i shall inform you if anything changes. You're free to relax, If you need any assistance, there's a phone on the wall, and a buzzer by your bed in case of an emergency. A nurse will come in and bring you some dinner."

"Alright." As if you'd eat public hospital food.

"If thats it then, I'll see you tomorrow for your daily checkup, Yamaguchi-san. Remember, buzz if you need anything!"

"Okay thanks." you reply.

After you leave, you turn back to Mizutani who is tapping her foot impatiently. Looks like she wants answers..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Mizutani Shizuku_

"So Yamaken, now is a good time to tell me what happened."

He blinks, unamused expression unchanging. "I... fell."

"No you didn't." You say accusingly. "I saw you and Haru together on the balcony, you were talking, i think, arguing probably, but then he got closer to you, and he lifted his hand, it looked like, like Haru maybe... but he wouldn't..." you trail off, unable to finish your sentence.

Yamaken raises an eyebrow.

"Like he _what_, Mizutani-san?"

Haru... you recognize that he has anger issues. He's a delinquent after all. But even though he can't help it at times... he couldn't actually push someone off of a balcony, could he? Haru is not a monster. You learned that about him over time. He's not like that anymore. You don't want to believe that he did such a thing. Haru... Your Haru..

"Actually, I don't know." you whisper, bringing your arms up to hug your sides for support.

"You saw me falling." Yamaken says simply "I lost my footing. That's it."

You stare blankly at the floor, urging yourself to believe him. You don't. You know he's lying and you're frustrated by the truth. Yamaken is lying. He's protecting Haru because he doesn't want _you_ to feel bad. Wow, that's really... amazing of him. Even though him and Haru are enemies he's sucking up his pride and protecting him.

"Yeah." you say, not emotionally stable enough to argue at this point. "You're probably right."

"I _am_ right." he says, trying to meet your eyes.

You avoid his gaze. "Yeah... anyways, I think I'll go now."

"Oh, okay. Thanks for staying with me." he says, almost shyly.

"It's nothing, i couldn't leave you alone after all." you grab your study guides and books from the side table. "I'll bring you the notes and homework from cram school tomorrow, and I'll tell the teacher where you are."

His eyes light up immediately.

"Thanks that would be great." he grins "I guess I'll see you tomorrow Mizutani-san."

"Yeah, see you Yamaken. Take it easy."

And while you walk home, you wonder how he could ever get so excited over cram school.

**_(Notes: hi i hope you all liked this chapter! If there's anything specific you want to see in this fic, just comment and ill take your suggestions into consideration._**  
**_PS: i havent actually stayed in the hospital before so i hope i wrote the mechanics of it alright? Anyways whatevs. Also i cant remember if Yamaken actually has family issues in the manga/anime or not, but for the sake of this story lets say he does. I think he does actually? i dont know. Anyways i apologize if i get any facts wrong. Feel free to correct me. _**  
**_Thanks for reading! Chapter 3 shall be up asap :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_(Hi sorry for the wait! I've been working overtime and I'm a little stressed over it so it took some time to get around to writing this out. Also, i have no idea why my formats are being so funky? Im gonna try and fix it asap)_**

Disclaimer: I own n-o-t-h-i-n-g

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 3

_Yoshida Haru-yesterday_

"Shit!" you scream, barging into your room like a raging tornado.

_that did not just happen that did not just happen that did not just happen_

After the he hit the ground, you ran for your life. And now youre at home, frustrated and anxious.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" you pace around angrily, not knowing what to do with your shaking hands. You aim them at the wall, harder, one punch after the other, until your fist goes right through and makes a hole the size of a baseball. You stop and stare blankly at the broken wall.

Everything... everything you touch breaks. The wall, Yamaken, your relationship with Shizuku. Why? You don't understand. You don't mean any harm. Well, you do but you also don't. Dammit! You didn't mean to push him off the goddamn balcony! It was accidental! (No, okay that's not entirely true.) You_ wanted_ to push him, but you didn't want to kill him! Not at all.. You just wanted him out of your way. To shut him up.

You can imagine Shizuku wagging her finger at you, scolding you. Telling you _"Haru you can't expect to get everything you want!"_

And it's true. Even by force, you can't. Violence just makes things worse. You think you're starting to understand that better now.

You drop on your bed and sigh. Yamaken may be annoying and arrogant, but he didn't deserve death just for being the little shit he usually is. You wish you could go back in time and stop yourself. Or, in the very least, you wish you could apologize to him in person. But he's probably already dead.

"Yamaken..."

You swear you'll visit his grave every day. You will. Not for Shizuku, or yourself to make you feel better, but for_ him_. To show you're sorry. You can even bring Nagoya with you, or Natsume or Sasayan.. you can decorate it with nice things and honour Yamaken.

Because you've never regretted anything so much in your life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Yamaguchi Kenji_

You've only been trapped in this hospital for two days, but you're already sick with boredom and starving for something edible. The mini tv in front of your bed only has 10 channels, and theres never anything decent on any of them. You grab the remote and flip through, an icy expression on your face. You wish you had your laptop, or some video games, just SOMETHING to do! Even your phone got smashed up from the fall. You can't wait until you can walk, in the very least. Or maybe in a few days you'll be given a wheelchair or something. You should ask for a map of the place so you can plan an escape route.

Sighing, you put the tv on the cooking channel and drool over food that must be 99999x better than the crap they give you here. Shepherds pie with soggy potatoes, and... is that even meat? You dont plan on testing your theory. You wish you could just call your chef to cook for you here. Hell, you'd even be fine with ordering a pizza every time you're hungry. Even _that_ is better than this slop.

Wait, thats a brilliant idea! Are you allowed to do that? Actually, fuck whether you're allowed to or not you're doing it anyways.

Its still painful when you try and turn your head, so you stretch out your good arm and grope around blindly for the phone. Mouth watering, you clumsily grab hold of it on the wall, ready to dial.

"Yamaken!"

You jolt, the phone flying out of your hands in shock. It swings down by the cord and knocks you hard in the head.

"Unghhhhhh..." you moan, rubbing it immediately.

"Hm. You're a lot clumsier than people think." Mizutani walks into your room with a huge duffle bag hanging off her shoulder. She's wearing a floral dress thats isnt completely shapeless and gaudy. Your heart immediately races.

"You could knock." you say, trying to hide the excitement you feel from seeing her.

Why is she here? To visit? To check on you? Was she worried again?

She sits down on the chair by your bed, and puts the bag on her lap. "You're right, sorry."

"Don't worry about it." you say, trying to sit up a little more. "What's with the bag?"

She fishes through it, pulling out a green folder and a small book. "What we did in class today. I figured you wouldn't want to miss anything even though you're stuck here." she holds it out to you, so you grab it and flip through slowly.

"Oh right, cram school.."

"We started reading The Catcher in the Rye. American classic, not too fond of it so far though. Too much swearing."

You roll your eyes, setting the book and folder on your lap. "We'll it'll give me something to do. This place is so boring, can you break me out?"

"Don't complain Yamaken." she says sternly "You're lucky you're alive right now you know."

"Yeah I guess." you shrug, regretting it after because _shrugging_ hurts "Mizutani-san could you pass me the phone then?"

Your stomach is still grumbling. You're ordering that pizza. (maybe you can get her to feed you..?)

"Uh, sure." she reaches down to where its dangling from the wire to hand it to you. Your hands brush and you almost drop the phone a second time.

"Who do you have to call?" she asks curiously "Our teacher?"

"Nope, getting a pizza." you say, squinting as you try to remember the number. It's been a while since you've actually ordered a pizza yourself. You don't eat food like that a lot.

"Yamaken!" she snatches the phone from your hand and slams it back on the wall "That is NOT polite! You're insulting the food given to you, free of charge! These people are being hospitable to you!"

"Hospitable? Well yeah this is a hospital." you deadpan "And hospital food is proven NOT edible."

"You're hopeless." she grumbles, then reaches into her bag and pulls out a bun. You stare at it like it's the only food you've seen in weeks. "I was gonna eat this in class but I forgot I had it. I made it with barbecue pork, you eat it."

"You're my saviour, study bug."

You scarf the bun down immediately, thanking the heavens that you got the opportunity to taste Mizutani's cooking. You forget all about making her feed you as you swallow the last bite. You notice she's already buried her face in a notebook when youre done.

"You don't waste time, do you?" you say with a grin.

She looks up, brown eyes meeting yours.

"Of course not."

"Why though? Why do you take school so seriously?"

She closes her book and sets it on the floor. "Because I need to get a good job"

"Well yeah, doesnt everyone?" you say "Why are you so determined?"

"I just _am._ I need to do well in school to do so. Not just well, I need to be the best." she bites her lip, like there's more she wants to say. If that's true then she doesn't say it, she just looks to the floor. You think maybe she has a secret superiority complex or something. Her attitude _If you're gonna do it do it better than everyone else does_ hints at it. Your parents have that attitude... that's why they forced you to go to that cram school. You didn't oblige but you know the extra classes weren't necessary for your future at all. Especially since youre rich and all.

Your future... what are you going to do in the future? At least Mizutani has a goal in mind. What about you? The time to decide is approaching.

"I have to go." she says abruptly, grabbing her stuff and standing up.

You blink in disbelief "Why?"

"I have to make dinner tonight, and i wanted time to stop at the book store." she fidgets as she talks.

Your heart sinks. Just when you were getting somewhere interesting!

"Okay.. thanks for the books, Mizutani-san." you say "and the food."

"Don't mention it. I'll be back with your homework again tomorrow." she gives you a small nod. Or maybe she gives herself a nod. Could be both. "Read the homework next time you're bored. And dont order any pizzas!"

"See ya tomorrow, study bug." you give her a wink, expecting her to roll her eyes and sneer.

"Bye, Yamaken."

You swear a ghost of a blush appears on her cheeks before she turns around and walks out.

_Well that was interesting,_ you think.

You pick up the book next to you and read it for the rest of the day.

**(additional note: I personally do not like Haru at all, but I'm not going to portray him as a villain in this fic because he IS a human being who learns from his mistakes and has flaws, so expect more of him. Anyways I hope I wrote everyone in character. If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see in this fic, just comment and I'll take it into consideration! All advice and reviews are greatly appreciated, as im not entirely sure where im going with just kind of writing it and seeing what happens hahaha)**


	4. Chapter 4

disclaimer: i dont own tonari no kaibutsu-kun!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

chapter 4 

_Mizutani Shizuku_

It's been almost 3 days since the accident, but you still feel rather shaken up and anxious, especially around Yamaken. Every time you visit him, you feel as if there's a writhing knot in your stomach.

You contemplate getting someone else to deliver his homework to him, ultimately rejecting the idea. He's your classmate. But he's also your friend. That you cant deny. You owe at least _this_ to him considering the accident was because of you.

You flop on your bed and flip open your phone. 0 missed calls. You're pleased, shocked and inevitably a little disappointed that Haru hasn't tried to hunt you down. You don't want to see him though. You thought you changed his aggressive ways, but you actually did not. He acted out of impulse and resorted to violence. He's like a test that you failed, but instead of a big fat F on the front you were punished with heartache and one of your other friends getting terribly hurt.

You really did like Haru a lot. You still do, such a feeling doesn't disappear overnight. However now that you think about it, you acted like a motherly figure or elder sister with him more than a lover. You took care of him, taught him right from wrong. You realize now that helping Haru grow up and behave like an adult was not your responsibility at all. You just wanted to be his friend, (well, more than a friend) not his mother or big were attracted to him.

Hopefully he'll reflect on his actions and mature somewhat so you can tell him how Yamaken is doing calmly. Does he even know what happened? Could he think Yamaken is dead? You imagine your conversation going smoothly, but at the same time you don't think you could go back to the way you were after this catastrophe. No matter how much you want to, even after Yamaken recovers. Still, you can't wait until he does.

Yamaken is a lot more mature than Haru. He is civilized, collected, and still intelligent. He's also thick headed and sarcastic, but that's really nothing compared to Haru's drastic violent tendencies. It's _refreshing_ spending your time with someone who respects you yet can still make you laugh. Cram school is not the only reason why you took it upon yourself to bring Yamaken his homework everyday. You secretly wanted to visit him for personal reasons too. Being with him, in class or other places, always helped you relax and clear your mind. You looked forward to cram school more than the average student because you liked sitting beside him.

But recently... the anxiety you've developed has just been lying there like a dead weight in your stomach in Yamaken's presence. You realized it right away, visiting him is not relaxing you because you feel guilty for Haru's actions.

You approach your bookshelf, locating and carefully plucking some math study guides from it to toss in your bag.

You promised Natsume you'd help her out with some math problems if she swore to stay out of everyone's business and not cause trouble. Not that you think she would, you just want to play it safe. You also don't want any nasty rumours going around about anyone. Not about Yamaken or Haru. Things are complicated enough as it is. At least occupying yourself and Natsume gives you even a little peace of mind. You're grateful for the distraction.

Sighing, you scoop up your stuff and lock the door, heading for the library.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Yamaguchi Kenji_

You got your neck brace off today. You're extremely grateful, because it was dorky and stiff. Looking at Mizutani when she sits next to you will no longer be painful. Well, physically.

You suddenly hear a slow knock on the door.

Is it the nurse? she doesn't usually knock. Mizutani? Well neither does she.. It wouldn't be... your parents...?

"Come in." you call flatly Asako Natsume walks in, wearing a rather low cut pink dress. She's sporting at least 4 bows in her red hair, and you notice she's biting her lip nervously. She's also holding a vase of yellow daisies.

"Hello, Yamaken." she says, not quite looking straight at you. You sit up, very surprised by your guest. (Well, imagine how surprised you would be if it was Haru. Now that would be something.)

"What do you want?" you ask curiously, making a small effort to not sound too rude. You don't have the energy to argue today.

You don't like Asako Natsume. She's conceded and an airhead. Not to mention she LIVES off of drama. You understand why everyone is so head over heels for her though. She's got looks but no brains - an easy catch. But she honestly annoys the crap out of you, all she does is criticize and threaten people she doesn't like. And she acts like every single guy on earth wants to get in bed with her.

"Sorry for the intrusion!" she squeaks "Ahhh, ummm... I-I, umm. " she trails off, not sure what else to say.

You raise an eyebrow, trying not to show your impatience. You know she has poor social skills but you hope she didn't come all the way here just to mutter nonsense.

"I'm s-sorry! So sorry!" she bursts, tears leaking from her face "It's all my fault that you're like this! If I hadn't p-provoked you, you w-wouldn't have g-g-gone outside for air and-and..." she throws her head back mid sentence and starts sobbing, violently.

"Natsume-san, calm down." you say tentatively, not entirely sure how to deal with overly emotional girls "Stop crying, I'm fine. Really."

She looks up from her hands, and rubs her eyes profusely. Black makeup smudges all over her.

Geez, It's hard to hate her when she's crying and apologizing profusely at you.

"I'm sorryyyyyy" she sniffles "I am, really. Please forgive meeeeee.."

"its not your fault, Natsume-san. Stop blaming yourself." you say, deciding to lie to her "I tripped and fell, this is the result of my own clumsiness."

She perks up, blinking a few times. "Really? the great Yamaken TRIPPED? No way!"

"Yeah.. there was... errr.. _a raccoon_ that scared me and I lost my footing and fell backwards."

"Oh my gosh, really?! Are you serious?!" she rubs her eyes "That's hilarious!"

You point a long finger at her "No its not hilarious." you grimace "Don't tell anyone okay? I don't want my awesome pride to be tarnished."

She smiles a watery smile, totally believing your stupid story. You feel pleased with your righteous lying abilities. They've got you into some interesting situations.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone. You can count on me, Yamaken!" she winks at you cheekily "Instead I'll tell them you had an epic battle with a vicious and nasty raccoon!" You sigh at her unnecessary enthusiasm, but she continues excitedly. "It was a fight to the death, oh yes! You were just barely crowned the winner! In a moment of weakness, the raccoon miraculously managed to push you down before you finally off'ed him and claimed your title as victor! You'll be known as _Yamaken the raccoon wrangler!_ Everyone will worship your courage!"

"Natsume-san." you say as nicely as you can "I'd like this whole situation to stay low key." thats part of the reason why you're not telling anyone what REALLY happened "Thanks but no thanks, I don't want any unnecessary attention."

Or visitors.

You've had enough idiots visit you here. Mabo, George and Tomio swung by earlier today.

They nearly broke everything in the room and got kicked out for their stupidity. They also shit talked the hospital and how crappy it is for the duration of their visit. You told them to behave and stop complaining if they ever wanted to come again. They begrudgingly agreed and left in a manner as close to graceful as possible. And by that you mean they tried smuggling a gurney outside and got kicked out by security anyways. You think you lost a few brain cells while they were here.

"Anyways don't tell that story to everyone please Natsume-san." you beg.

"Ohhh, alright." she grumbles "Only because I owe you."

"Yeah." you say, sucking up a bit of your pride "And thanks for apologizing. It was... unnecessary but nice. So thanks."

She pats your head with a huge grin. You feel like a dog being pet. You don't like it when she touches you.

"Don't mention it! I'm just glad everything is going to work out!"

Work out? Well, not entirely.

"Oh! Is that the time?! 2:45?" she asks worriedly, pointing at the digital clock by your bed.

"Yeah why?"

"Mitty is meeting me at the library at 3. I have to go, or else I'll fail math!"

Mizutani's nickname is like static in your ears.

"You're seeing Mizutani-san?" you affirm curiously.

"Yeah, Mitty agreed to tutor me in math on weekends! Just a bit of trigonometry, nothing too serious."

Today is Saturday so there's no cram school. You sigh, realizing you won't see Mizutani today but Natsume will. You're ever so slightly jealous.

"Oh! I got you these flowers. Sorry, they're not very _manly_ are they..." she puts the vase of daisies by your bedside table. "May as well make the room a bit prettier right? Anyways bye Yamaken! Keep wrangling those raccoons!"

"Yeah, bye Natsume-san."

And then she's out the door in a whirlwind.

You shrug, she must really need math help if she's being tutored during winter vacation.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

_**(authors notes: hello, thank you for reading! If you have any reviews or suggestions as to what i can include in later chapters of this fic please PLEASE comment! I also apologize for any typos that you may come across :0 Anyways chapter 5 is in the making and it shall be up asap ;))**_


End file.
